Clare Allan: It's my life + Social exclusion | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/society/series/itsmylife+socialexclusion
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Could my breakdown have been prevented? | Clare Allanhttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/04/breakdown-prevented-mental-health-spending-mind
Charity reveals councils in England spend only 1.4% of their public health budget on mental health problems and some have no plans to spend anything at all<p>Some 20 years after I first walked through the revolving doors of a north London psychiatric unit, it is worth looking back and considering what, if anything, might have prevented the breakdown that derailed my life so spectacularly that two decades later I cannot imagine who or what or where I might now be had it never happened.</p><p>These questions are not ones I think about often because, at least on a personal level, it seems a fairly pointless exercise. You cannot change the past. You may be able to change how you think about it, but though I’d readily acknowledge I’ve gained a great deal from my 20 years in the psychiatric system, not least the remarkable people I’ve met, I cannot but feel that it’s cost me a great deal too.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/04/breakdown-prevented-mental-health-spending-mind">Continue reading...</a>Mental healthHealthLocal governmentSocial exclusionSocietyTue, 04 Nov 2014 14:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/04/breakdown-prevented-mental-health-spending-mindPhotograph: Jonathan Nicholson/ Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/CorbisMental health problems are estimated to cost England and Wales £100bn every year. Photograph: Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/CorbisPhotograph: Jonathan Nicholson/ Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/CorbisMental health problems are estimated to cost England and Wales £100bn every year. Photograph: Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/CorbisClare Allan2014-11-04T14:00:01ZThe most toxic issue facing those with mental health problems is stigma | Clare Allanhttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/03/mental-health-problems-stigma-employers
An evaluation of Mind and Rethink Mental Health's anti-stigma campaign, Time to Change, shows no wholesale shift in attitudes, but some signficant impacts, says <strong>Clare Allan</strong><p>Stigma and discrimination can greatly exacerbate the difficulties faced by people with mental health problems. We know that; we've heard it repeatedly; many of us have experienced it. We know that stigma is not just a word but a toxic concoction of ignorance and fear, of prejudice and power play, that continues to have a real and substantial impact on the daily experiences of thousands of people, in relationships with friends and family, in attempts at finding and keeping employment, and even in accessing healthcare.</p><p>Stigma is bad; we can all agree. But what's to be done about it? How do you reduce stigma? How do you even measure it? And if you do invest in a &quot;treatment programme&quot; aimed at reducing discrimination, how on earth can you demonstrate your investment was worthwhile?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/03/mental-health-problems-stigma-employers">Continue reading...</a>Mental healthDisabilityLearning disabilitySocial exclusionSocial careSocietyWed, 03 Apr 2013 06:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/03/mental-health-problems-stigma-employersHelen King/CorbisSurveys of public attitudes to mental illness showed no significant ­improvement in either knowledge or reported behaviour.
Photograph: Helen King/CorbisHelen King/CorbisSurveys of public attitudes to mental illness showed no significant ­improvement in either knowledge or reported behaviour.
Photograph: Helen King/CorbisClare Allan2013-04-03T06:00:03Z